Embry Hills United Methodist Church has been a Stephen Ministry congregation since 2003. We have sponsored three classes of Stephen Ministers since that time.

The Stephen Series provides congregations with the structure, training, and resources to set up and administer a complete system for lay caring ministry (called Stephen Ministry) in the congregation. In Stephen Ministry congregations, lay caregivers (called Stephen Ministers) provide one-to-one Christian care to the bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated, and others facing a crisis or life challenge. Stephen Ministry helps pastors and congregations provide quality caring ministry for as long as people need it.

Who Benefits from Stephen Ministry?

People Who Need Care . . .

• Receive quality, Christ-centered, confidential care for their hurts and needs
• Find hope, healing, and a new sense of self-worth through the support of a Stephen Minister
• Know they are remembered and supported by their congregation in times of personal difficulty
• Receive ongoing care for continuing needs long after the onset of a crisis, when many others have forgotten about them
• Grow in a deeper relationship with their Lord as they experience God's unconditional love for them through their Stephen Minister

Your Pastors . . .

• No longer shoulder the entire burden of caring in the congregation, as if the pastor were the only one able, willing, or called to do this ministry
• Receive support and care from the lay people who are part of the congregation's Stephen Ministry Team
• Reach more members of the congregation with quality Christian care
• Experience renewed joy and satisfaction as they equip others and so extend the reach of their own ministries
• Have more time to focus on the ministries that only the pastor can do

For more information contact
Dottie Coltrane, Stephen Leader (770.493.7444)
Carol Nigro, Stephen Leader (770-457-4621)
Mark Sargent, Senior Pastor (770-938-0661, ext 111)

Update...

The PBS "Religion and Ethics" news show recently aired an eight-minute feature on Stephen Ministry that vividly describes the life-changing ministry happening in thousands of congregations.

View the Stephen Ministry feature on the PBS Web site, where you'll also find several bonus features--including a nine-minute interview with Stephen Ministries' founder and executive director, Kenneth C. Haugk.